Rope clamp for fenceposts



Sept. 28 1926.

C. EDWARDS ROPE CLAMP FOR FENCEPOSTS Filed April 2. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS:

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mvs'm OR ,anowmzv 2a ,1926. 1,601,612 C. EDWARDS ROPE CLAMP FOR FENCEPOSTS Filed April 2, 1926 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 INVENI OR ATTO. NEV wrmsss: a

trians.

Patented Sept. as, 1926.

UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFF ICE.

' ROPE GLAIv'f? FOR FENCEPO ST S.

' Application filed April 2,15526. Serial No. 99,396.

On highways having gullies, ditches or other declivities' at the sides thereof it is necessary to erect a fence or like barricade to protect the lives of motorists and pedeslVooden structures designed for such protection are not adequate, as the same are practically unyieldable, and a machine forcibly contacting therewith will not only itself be smashed but will entirely destroy the fence or barricade and run'into the declivity, with a result that serious damages to themachine, the so-call'e'd protective structureand fatalities to the occupants of the machine frequently result.

On a number of highways, whose sides decline, a rope fence is erected, and as the rope is yieldable it is more efli'cient for its purpose than other structures. The ropes are supported on spaced posts which are buried in the ground. In a number of instances the posts are bored for the passage of the rope therethrough. This materially weakens the .post. in other instances the rope is held on the posts by staples. These staples frequently become loosened, and more-frequently split and otherwise damage the posts, so that-neither of these mentioned means for-supporting the rope. or wire cable can be considered satisfactory. Therefore, it is to be considered the primary object of this invention to provide a means which not only effectively supports protective ropes on posts, but which likewise serve as reinforcing means for said posts.

A further object is the provision of a means'for this purpose that includes a split band which carries a socket through which the rope passes, the said band surrounding the postand having at its meeting ends means forbinding the bandaround the'post and for securing the ends of the band together.

A still further object is the provision of a supporting means for protective or fence ropesthat includes a socket through which the rope passes and through which socket there is also passed'a split band, means, in the nature of lugs receiving the ends of the bands therethrough and being adjustably secured on said ends, while normally concealed means is provided for adjusting the lugs with respect to each other to cause a tight frictional engagement of the band with the post and to partly embed the rope socket in the post, so that the structure as Whole will be efiectively held from either longitudinal or rotary movement on the post, but will serie to reinforce the post.

A further object is the provision of means for supporting protective ropes on posts-that includes means arranged around and adjustably secured on a post. in'a man ner to cause a binding engagement against said post, said means carrying a rope socket of a particular and peculiar construction, which when'the said means is adjusted, will effect a binding engagement with the post. I V

A'still further object is the provision of a rope carrying socket that may be attached to or removed from a split band which is fixedly secured around the supporting post for the rope without necessitating the entire removal of thc'said band from the post.

With the above recited objects in view and others whichwill appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the improvement further resides in certain novelfeatures of construction, combination and operative association of parts, a satisfactory embodiment of which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement.

Figure 2 is atop plan view of the clamp fi-Xedly'se'cured' around a supporting post for a protective rope, parts being broken away and parts being in section.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which one form of the rope socket maybe arranged'upon the split band, when the latter is positioned onthe post.

Figure a is a similar view showing the socket in rope holding position.

I have'not' deemed it necessary to illustrate a complete fence or protective device for highways or the like. It may be wet] to state that I do not wish to be restricted to the employmentof my improvement only onprotective rope fences for highways as the same-may be employed with equal elf.- ciency upon other rope fences.

In Figure 2 of the drawings 1 have illustrated the improvement arranged around and in binding engagement with a fence post 1. The improvement includes a spli thin but strong metalstrip 2. Thisstrip'i wound around the postso that the same provides a band. However, before the strip is arranged around the'post, one end of the said strip is passed through the inner Wall lee) Ill)

of the longitudinally rounded inner end 3 of a substantially U-shaped socket member a. The wire rope or cable 5 is passed through the socket.

The ends of the strip or split band 2 are provided with spaced openings 6, and these ends are passed through central openings or sockets 7 in longitudinally rounded lugs 8. The lugs, at points adjacent to the ends thereof, have passed therethrough the shanks 9 of screws or other headed elements 10. These shanks also pass through certain of the openingsfi in the ends of the strip or band 2 and the threaded shanks are engaged by nuts 11 on the outer face of the lugs 8.

By reference to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the socket 7 of the lugs 8 is of a width to accommodate in either of the said sockets both ends of the split band or strip 2. The lugs 8, at the confronting ends thereof are formed with outwardly 6X- tending ears 12. Each ear has an outer pocket 13 that communicates with an elongated slot 1a in the confronting faces of the said lugs. Received in one of the pockets 13 there is the head 15 of a bolt 16. The bolt passes through the opening lt in the said lug and through the ear in the adj acentlug. Screwed on the threaded end of the bolt there is a nut 17 which is received in the pocket in the ear of the last mentioned lug. The pockets are of a size to permit of a free insertion of socket wrenches therein which engage with the head of the bolt and with the nut. In ordinary instances only one socket wrench need be used and that to turn the nut on the bolt. By so adjusting the nut the ends of the band will be drawn toward each other and tightly compress the said band around the post. This compression causes the end 3 of the socket to be partly embedded in the post and likewise forces the leads 10 of the bolt members 9 into the wooden post, as well as portions of the inner faces of the lugs in said posts. In this manner it will be noted that the clamp is effectively held on the post against either rotary or vertical movement.

A certain amount of slack is desirable in the protector ropes or cables and the ends of the said ropes or cables are knotted or otherwise headed to contact with the end of the socket on the end posts, although the ends of the rope or cable may be otherwise anchored.

Should the socket member l be broken or damaged in any manner, I have illustrated in Figures 8 and 1 of the drawings, a socket member which may be attached to the strip or band 2 without its removal from the post. Of course, the nut 17 is unscrewed on the bolt 16 so that the strip or band 2 will not frictionally contact with the post. The socket illustrated in the said Figures 3 and 4t has a rounded body portion 18 formed on its ends with oppositely directed fingers 19 whose connecting elements 20 space the same from the said body 18. The body is first arranged vertically, as disclosed in Figure 8 of the drawings, so that the split band or strip 2 will be received between the fingers. Thereafter the body 18 is swung to the position illustrated in Figure at of the drawings, after which. the nut 17 is screwed home on the bolt 16; By reference to Figure 3 of the erawings, it will be noted that the protector rope or cable 5' is arranged between oppositely directed curved aws 21 and 22 on the outer face of the body 18 and opposite the fingers or jaws 19. Thus when the socket member is moved to the position illustrated in Figure l, the rope or cable 5 will be engaged between the jaws 21 and 22. The screwing home of the nut 17 on the bolt 16 will cause the fingers 18 to be embedded in the post.

The simplicity of my construction and the advantages thereof, will, it is thought, be

perfectly apparent to those skilled in the 7 art to which the invention relates when the foregoing description has been carefully read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is, of course, to be understood that while I have herein set forth a satisfactory embodiment of my improvement as it now appears to me, I do not desire to be limited to the precise features of construction illustrated and may make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim. 7

Having described the invention, I claim 1. A means for supporting a cable on a wooden post; comprising a split band, a socket removably arranged on the band, and through which socket the cable passes, lugs to which the ends of the bands are adjustably connected, each socket having an outstanding ear at the confronting ends of the said sockets, each of said ears being formed with a pocket and with an elongated opening communicating with the pocket, a headed bolt having its head received in one of the pockets and a shank extending through the openings in the ears and said bolt being engaged by a nut which is arranged in the pocket on the ear of the second lug, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a band arranged around and adjustably connected to a post, of a rope receiving socket, comprising a body member having oppositely directed fingers on its ends and on the inner face thereof to receive therebetween the bands, and said body having its outer face, at its diagonally opposite corners, formed with inwardly rounded jaws which receive the cable therebetween.

In testimony whereof I afli): my signature.

cnaanns rnwazayns, 

